U.S. patent number 7,824,264 [Application Number 10/668,560] was granted by the patent office on 2010-11-02 for random bonus prize shown on the system display.
This patent grant is currently assigned to IGT. Invention is credited to Robert P. Bartholomew, Erik B. Petersen, Lawrence R. Pitman, Michael B. Shelby.
United States Patent |
7,824,264 |
Bartholomew , et
al. |
November 2, 2010 |
Random bonus prize shown on the system display
Abstract
A default bonus award and a set of non-default bonus awards are
determined for a type of gaming machine. A criterion for qualifying
for a bonus award is also determined. Then, if a bonus session is
active and a player meets the criterion, a bonus award is randomly
selected for the player. In one embodiment, the random bonus award
is selected immediately after the player is identified at the
gaming machine, before he has begun play.
Inventors: |
Bartholomew; Robert P. (Las
Vegas, NV), Petersen; Erik B. (Las Vegas, NV), Pitman;
Lawrence R. (Las Vegas, NV), Shelby; Michael B. (Las
Vegas, NV) |
Assignee: |
IGT (Reno, NV)
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Family
ID: |
29401658 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/668,560 |
Filed: |
September 22, 2003 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20040072618 A1 |
Apr 15, 2004 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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60415207 |
Sep 30, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
463/26; 273/460;
463/27; 463/16; 463/42; 463/25; 273/138.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F
17/3232 (20130101); G07F 17/32 (20130101); G07F
17/3262 (20130101); G07F 17/34 (20130101); G07F
17/3244 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
9/24 (20060101); A63F 13/00 (20060101); G06F
17/00 (20060101); G06F 19/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;463/25-28,16,20,22 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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1365365 |
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Nov 2003 |
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EP |
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2382448 |
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May 2003 |
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GB |
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WO00/16864 |
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Mar 2000 |
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WO |
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WO00/17830 |
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Mar 2000 |
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WO |
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WO02/32524 |
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Apr 2002 |
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WO |
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WO03/003319 |
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Jan 2003 |
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WO |
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WO03/014870 |
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Feb 2003 |
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WO |
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Primary Examiner: Hotaling, II; John M.
Assistant Examiner: D'Agostino; Paul A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Armstrong Teasdale LLP
Parent Case Text
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 60/415,207, filed Sep. 30, 2002, which is
hereby incorporated by reference.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A system for awarding a random bonus award, comprising: a gaming
machine; a set of bonus awards including at least two bonus awards,
including at least a default award and a plurality of non-default
awards wherein the default award is reused after being awarded
during an active bonus session and wherein each of the non-default
awards is used a single time during the active bonus session; a
criterion dependent on at least one of a status of a player and an
action of the player; a player tracking database communicatively
coupled to the gaming machine using a network, the database
comprising a session identifier configured to indicate that a bonus
session is active if the player has not received a bonus award from
the set of bonus awards during a session; a selector configured to
select a bonus award at random from the set of bonus awards if the
session identifier indicates that the bonus session is active; and
an awarder configured to deliver the selected bonus award to the
player after the player meets the criterion.
2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a player
identifier connected to the gaming machine.
3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the selector is
configured to select the bonus award before the player begins play
on the gaming machine.
4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the gaming machine
includes the awarder.
5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising: a bonus
server, the bonus server including the criterion and the selector;
and a network connecting the bonus server and the gaming
machine.
6. A system according to claim 1, further comprising: a server, the
server including a player tracking database; and a network
connecting the server, the gaming machine, and the selector.
7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the set of bonus awards
includes at least a first non-default award.
8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the bonus awards in the
set of bonus awards are drawn from: cash, credits, and non-monetary
awards.
9. A system according to claim 2, wherein the player identifier
includes a card reader.
10. A system according to claim 2, wherein the selector is
configured to select the bonus award after the player is identified
by the player identifier.
11. A system according to claim 2, wherein the selector is
configured to select the bonus award after the player is identified
by the player identifier and before the player begins play on the
gaming machine.
12. A system according to claim 4, wherein the awarder includes a
graphical display.
13. A system according to claim 4, wherein the awarder includes a
textual display.
14. A system according to claim 4, wherein the awarder includes: an
audio message generator configured to generate an audio message
regarding the bonus award; and a speaker configured to output the
audio message to the player.
15. A system according to claim 12, wherein the gaming machine
includes a primary display used to play the game, the primary
display distinct from the graphical display.
16. A system according to claim 5, wherein: the bonus server
further comprises the session identifier; and the selector is
configured to select the bonus award only if the session identifier
indicates that the bonus session is active.
17. A system according to claim 5, further comprising a server, the
server including a player tracking database and connected to the
network.
18. A system according to claim 6, further comprising means for
accessing the player tracking database to determine if the player
meets the criterion.
19. A system according to claim 7, wherein the set of bonus awards
further includes a second non-default award.
20. A system according to claim 7, wherein the set of bonus awards
further includes a default award.
21. A method for awarding a random bonus award on a gaming machine,
said method comprising: identifying a criterion for the selection
of a bonus award, the criterion dependent on at least one of a
status of a player playing the gaming machine and an action of the
player; determining that the player meets the criterion;
determining that a bonus session is active on the gaming machine if
the player has not received a bonus award from the set of bonus
awards during a session; selecting a bonus award at random from a
set of bonus awards including at least two bonus awards if the
bonus session is determined to be active, the set of bonus awards
including at least a default award and a plurality of non-default
awards wherein the default award is reused after being awarded
during an active bonus session and wherein each of the non-default
awards is used a single time during the active bonus session; and
awarding the selected bonus award to the player playing the gaming
machine.
22. A method according to claim 21, wherein identifying a criterion
includes identifying the criterion drawn from a set including: an
account of the player in a player tracking database is flagged; the
player has played for a minimum amount of time; the player has
played a minimum amount of coin-in; the player last played within a
minimum amount of time; the player has achieved a combination of
positive gaming machine outcomes; the player has a minimum number
of handles per trip; the player has a minimum number of handles per
unit time; and the player has a minimum amount of continuous
play.
23. A method according to claim 21, further comprising identifying
the player of the gaming machine.
24. A method according to claim 21, wherein selecting a bonus award
includes selecting a first non-default award from the set of bonus
awards.
25. A method according to claim 21, wherein selecting a bonus award
includes selecting a default award from the set of bonus
awards.
26. A method according to claim 21, further comprising defining the
set of bonus awards to include at least two bonus awards.
27. A method according to claim 21, further comprising awarding a
consolation award to the player.
28. A method according to claim 21, wherein determining that a
bonus session is active includes: determining a type of a gaming
machine being used by the player; and determining that a bonus
session is active for the type of gaming machine.
29. A method according to claim 21, wherein awarding the selected
bonus award to the player includes awarding the selected bonus
award to the player if the bonus session is active.
30. A method according to claim 21, wherein awarding the selected
bonus award to the player includes: receiving a message about the
selected bonus award at a gaming machine in use by the player;
verifying at the gaming machine that the player still satisfies the
criterion; and awarding the selected bonus award to the player by
the gaming machine if the gaming machine verifies that the player
still meets the criterion for the bonus award.
31. A method according to claim 21, wherein awarding the selected
bonus award to the player includes notifying the player of the
selected bonus award.
32. A method according to claim 21, further comprising identifying
the player as having received the bonus award.
33. A method according to claim 21, further comprising expiring the
selected bonus award for the player if a condition is met, the
condition drawn from a set including: a time limit; an arrival of
an end of the bonus session; and the player ending play.
34. A method according to claim 23, wherein: selecting a bonus
award includes selecting the bonus award after the player is
identified; and awarding the selected bonus award includes awarding
the selected bonus award to the player before the player has begun
to play the gaming machine.
35. A method according to claim 24, wherein selecting a bonus award
further includes removing the first non-default award from the set
of bonus awards.
36. A method according to claim 24, wherein selecting a bonus award
further includes leaving the first non-default award in the set of
bonus rewards.
37. A method according to claim 25, wherein selecting a bonus award
further includes leaving the default award in the set of bonus
awards.
38. A method according to claim 26, wherein defining the set of
bonus awards includes defining the set of bonus awards to include
at least a first non-default award.
39. A method according to claim 38, wherein defining the set of
bonus awards further includes defining a set of bonus awards to
include at least a second non-default award.
40. A method according to claim 38, wherein defining the set of
bonus awards further includes defining the set of bonus awards to
include at least a default award.
41. A method according to claim 40, wherein defining the set of
bonus awards further includes defining the set of bonus awards to
include at least the first award and a plurality of default awards
in a desired initial ratio.
42. A method according to claim 28, wherein identifying a bonus
award includes selecting the bonus award at random from a set of
bonus awards associated with the bonus session for the type of
gaming machine.
43. A method according to claim 30, further comprising returning
the selected bonus award to the set of bonus awards if the gaming
machine fails to verify that the player still meets the criterion
for the bonus award.
44. A method according to claim 31, wherein notifying the player of
the selected bonus award includes displaying a text message to the
user.
45. A method according to claim 31, wherein notifying the player of
the selected bonus award includes presenting an audio
announcement.
46. A method according to claim 31, wherein notifying the player of
the selected bonus award includes presenting a video
announcement.
47. A method according to claim 44, wherein displaying a text
message includes displaying the selected bonus award in the text
message.
48. A method according to claim 46, wherein presenting a video
announcement includes simulating the random selection of the
selected bonus award.
49. A method according to claim 46, wherein presenting a video
announcement includes presenting an audio announcement.
50. A method according to claim 46, wherein presenting a video
announcement includes presenting the video announcement on a
primary display of the gaming machine.
51. A method according to claim 46, wherein presenting a video
announcement includes presenting the video announcement on a
secondary display of the gaming machine.
52. A method according to claim 32, wherein identifying the player
as having received the selected bonus award includes identifying
the player in a player tracking database as having received the
selected bonus award.
53. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
to award a random bonus award, comprising: software to identify a
criterion for the selection of a bonus award, the criterion
dependent on at least one of a status of a player and an action of
the player; software to determine that the player meets the
criterion; software to determine that a bonus session is active if
the player has not received a bonus award from the set of bonus
awards during a session, the set of bonus awards including at least
a default award and a plurality of non-default awards wherein the
default award is reused after being awarded during an active bonus
session and wherein each of the non-default awards is used a single
time during the active bonus session; software to select a bonus
award at random from a set of bonus awards if the bonus session is
active, wherein the set of bonus awards includes at least two bonus
awards; and software to award the selected bonus award to the
player.
54. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 53, wherein the software to identify a criterion
includes software to identify the criterion drawn from a set
including: an account of the player in a player tracking database
is flagged; the player has played for a minimum amount of time; the
player has played a minimum amount of coin-in; an account of the
player in a player tracking database is flagged; the player last
played within a minimum amount of time; the player has achieved a
combination of positive gaming machine outcomes; the player has a
minimum number of handles per trip; the player has a minimum number
of handles per unit time; and the player has a minimum amount of
continuous play.
55. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 53, the program further comprising software to
identify the player of a gaming machine.
56. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 53, wherein: the software to select a bonus
award includes software to select the bonus award after the player
is identified; and the software to award the selected bonus award
includes software to award the selected bonus award to the player
before the player has begun to play the gaming machine.
57. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 53, wherein the software to select a bonus award
includes software to select a first non-default award from the set
of bonus awards.
58. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 53, wherein the software to select a bonus award
includes software to select a default award from the set of bonus
awards.
59. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 53, the program further comprising software to
define the set of bonus awards to include at least the two bonus
awards.
60. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 53, wherein the software to determine that a
bonus session is active includes: software to determine a type of a
gaming machine being used by the player; and software to determine
that a bonus session is active for the type of the gaming
machine.
61. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 53, wherein the software to award the selected
bonus award to the player includes: software to receive a message
about the selected bonus award at a gaming machine in use by the
player; software to verify at the gaming machine that the player
still satisfies the criterion; and software to award the selected
bonus award to the player by the gaming machine if the gaming
machine verifies that the player still meets the criterion for the
bonus award.
62. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 53, wherein the software to award the selected
bonus award to the player includes software to notify the player of
the selected bonus award.
63. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 53, the program further comprising software to
identify the player as having received the selected bonus
award.
64. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 63, wherein the software to identify the player
as having received the selected bonus award includes software to
identify the player in a player tracking database as having
received the selected bonus award.
65. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 53, the program further comprising software to
expire the selected bonus award for the player if a condition is
met, the condition drawn from a set including: a time limit; an
arrival of an end of the bonus session; and the player ending
play.
66. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 57, wherein the software to select a bonus award
further includes software to remove the first non-default award
from the set of bonus awards.
67. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 57, wherein the software to select a bonus award
further includes software to leave the first non-default award in
the set of bonus awards.
68. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 58, wherein the software to select a bonus award
further includes software to leave the default award in the set of
bonus awards.
69. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 59, wherein the software to define the set of
bonus awards includes software to define the set of bonus awards to
include at least a first non-default award.
70. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 69, wherein the software to define the set of
bonus awards further includes software to define the set of bonus
awards to include at least a second non-default award.
71. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 69, wherein the software to define the set of
bonus awards further includes software to define the set of bonus
awards to include at least a default award.
72. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 71, wherein the software to define the set of
bonus awards further includes software to define the set of bonus
awards to include at least the first award and a plurality of
default awards in a desired initial ratio.
73. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 60, wherein the software to identify a bonus
award includes software to select the bonus award at random from a
set of bonus awards associated with the bonus session for the type
of gaming machine.
74. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 61, the program further comprising software to
return the selected bonus award to the set of bonus awards if the
gaming machine fails to verify that the player still meets the
criterion for the bonus award.
75. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 62, wherein the software to notify the player of
the selected bonus award includes software to display a text
message to the user.
76. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 62, wherein the software to notify the player of
the selected bonus award includes software to present an audio
announcement.
77. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 62, wherein the software to notify the player of
the selected bonus award includes software to present an video
announcement.
78. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 75, wherein the software to display a text
message includes software to display the selected bonus award in
the text message.
79. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 77, wherein the software to present a video
announcement includes software to simulate the random selection of
the selected bonus award.
80. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 77, wherein the software to present a video
announcement includes software to present an audio
announcement.
81. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 77, wherein the software to present a video
announcement includes software to present the video announcement on
a primary display of the gaming machine.
82. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program
according to claim 77, wherein the software to present a video
announcement includes software to present the video announcement on
a secondary display of the gaming machine.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to bonus prizes, and more particularly to
bonus prizes awarded randomly during a bonus session.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When gambling as an industry was in its infancy, the lure of the
possibility of winning big money was enough to attract players.
Casinos as envisioned today were a concept yet to be considered,
gaming machines were relatively sparse, and the expense of travel
(both financially and temporally) limited players' options.
The growth shown by Las Vegas, Nev., Atlantic City, N.J., and other
gambling hot spots, the variety of different gaming devices, and
the ability to travel long distances quickly and cheaply have
conspired to change the player's perception of the industry. There
are near infinite variations of gaming devices, and the increasing
number of casinos provides players with many choices as to where to
spend their time (and money).
In an effort to distinguish themselves from each other, casinos
have started to offer players advantages for being loyal. Player
tracking databases, which store information about players and track
their activity levels over time, can be used to reward loyal
patrons. After a player has played enough (measured either in time
or money), the casino can reward the player for his loyalty: for
example, a complimentary meal, show, or room. In return, the casino
has a player that is more likely to play the casino's machines than
elsewhere.
Other ways to encourage customer loyalty lie in giving players
bonuses. For example, if a player hits a particular combination of
symbols at a particular time, the player can receive a bonus on top
of the ordinary jackpot associated with the symbol combination. The
chance to win even more than the typical jackpot can attract
players to a casino.
A problem is that they often provide only a short-term increase,
which can even be temporary. Other casinos follow suit with
promotions of their own, again leveling the playing field and
giving each casino little to distinguish themselves. Therefore,
casinos are always looking for new ways to attract patrons.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is an apparatus, system, and method for giving
players a bonus award. A set of bonus awards includes at least two
awards. A criterion defines the condition(s) under which a player
can receive a bonus award. If a player meets the criterion, then a
selector selects one of the bonus awards, and an awarder delivers
the selected bonus award to the player.
The foregoing and other features, objects, and advantages of the
invention will become more readily apparent from the following
detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows several gaming machines connected by a network,
according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 shows a server and a bonus server connected to the network
of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment for storing non-default awards in
the bonus server of FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment for storing non-default awards in
the bonus server of FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 5 shows the gaming machine of FIG. 1 notifying the user of the
bonus award using a secondary display, according to an embodiment
of the invention.
FIG. 6 shows the gaming machine of FIG. 1 notifying the user of the
bonus award using a primary display and using audio, according to
an embodiment of the invention.
FIGS. 7A-7D show a flowchart of the procedure for awarding a random
bonus award in the system of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of
the invention.
FIGS. 8A-8B show a flowchart of the procedure for notifying a
player of the random bonus award in the system of FIG. 1, according
to an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 shows several gaming machines connected by a network,
according to an embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 1, three
gaming machines, 105, 110, and 115, are shown. Although gaming
machines 105, 110, and 115 are shown as slot machines, a person
skilled in the art will recognize that gaming machines 105, 110,
and 115 can be any variety of gaming machines: for example, video
poker or video blackjack. In addition, embodiments of the invention
are not limited to gaming machines where the user plays
independently, but are capable of being applied to other games. For
example, embodiments of the invention are applicable to table
games, such as poker, blackjack, and roulette, and other games,
such as bingo or keno. In the remainder of this document, "gaming
machine" is intended to refer to any game, be it electronic or
mechanical, table, paper, or other form, to which an embodiment of
the invention can be adapted.
Gaming machines 105, 110, and 115 are connected to network 120.
Network 120 acts to allow the gaming machines to communicate,
typically with servers that monitor the operations of the gaming
machines.
Gaming machine 105 is also capable of identifying a player
(although typically gaming machine is only involved in the process
and does not completely identify the player by itself). In FIG. 1,
gaming machine 105 performs this identification process using card
reader 125. Card reader 125 receives the player's card, which
includes information that identifies the player to the gaming
machine (and through the gaming machine to the system, as described
further below with reference to FIG. 2).
Although FIG. 1 shows gaming machine 105 identifying the player
using card reader 125, there are other ways for gaming machine 105
to identify the player. For example, the player can enter a unique
identification number using a keypad. Or, gaming machine 105 can
determine a biometric of the player (such as the player's
fingerprint, voiceprint, iris scan, heat signature, or other
biometric), which can be used to identify the player. A person
skilled in the art will recognize other ways that can be used to
identify the player.
Although FIG. 1 shows card reader 125 as being installed in gaming
machine 105, a person skilled in the art will recognize that the
mechanism by which the player is identified can be remote from
gaming machine 105. For example, the player can be identified at a
kiosk, and indicate that he will be playing gaming machine 105. In
this situation, gaming machine 105 is completely separate from the
mechanism by which the player is identified. It can also occur that
gaming machine 105 is partly involved in identifying the player.
For example, the player can present a biometric to gaming machine
105, which is then transmitted to a server, where the player is
identified from the biometric. A person skilled in the art will
recognize other ways in which gaming machine 105 can be involved in
or separate from the identification of the player.
Finally, gaming machine 105 includes awarder 130. Awarder 130 is
responsible for awarding the player any bonuses to which the player
is entitled. The operation of awarder 125 is described further
below with reference to FIGS. 3-5.
FIG. 2 shows server 205 and bonus server 210 connected to network
120 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the invention. Server
205 includes player tracking database 215, which stores information
about the player. For example, player tracking database can include
information such as the player's name and address, the total amount
the player has wagered since being added to the player tracking
database, the date of the player's last visit to the casino, and
information about the last bonus the player received (such as an
identifier for the bonus session, the size of the award, and the
type of gaming machine the player was using).
In contrast, bonus server 210 is responsible for managing
information about bonuses to be awarded. Bonus server 210 includes
criterion 220 and selector 225. Criterion 220 adds a criterion to
be used in determining whether a player is to receive a bonus
award. If the player meets the criterion at the time the bonus is
awarded, the player receives the bonus; otherwise, the player does
not receive the award. Criterion 220 can be any of a variety of
different criteria. One type of criterion that can be used is one
that relates to a player's status. For example, criterion 220 can
be simply that the player has an account in player tracking
database 215. Or, criterion 220 can be that the player has just
been identified by the gaming machine. Or, criterion 220 can be
that the player has wagered at least $100 in the past three months.
Or, criterion 220 can be that the player's account in player
tracking database 215 indicates that the player is a VIP player. A
person skilled in the art will recognize other types of criteria
that relate to a player's status.
Another type of criteria that can be used is one that depends on
the player's actions at the gaming machine. For example, criterion
220 can be that the player has a current coin-in of $200. Or,
criterion 220 can be that the player has lost $100 in the current
session. Or, criterion 220 can be that the player has just hit a
particular winning combination on the gaming machine. A person
skilled in the art will recognize other types of criteria that
relate to a player's actions.
In addition to criteria that depend on a player's status or
actions, other types of criteria can be used. An example of a
criterion that is external to a player's status or actions is the
player being identified by the gaming machine. For example, after
the player sits down at the gaming machine, but before the player
has begun to play the gaming machine, the player identifies himself
to the gaming machine. As discussed above with reference to FIG. 1,
the player can be identified in any number of ways. Assuming the
gaming machine identifies players using a card reader, then the
player's sliding his card into the gaming machine identifies the
player to the gaming machine.
Other example criteria that can be used include: Playing a
particular gaming machine (e.g., game type, game manufacturer, or
game denomination) Being a carded player Being a non-carded player
Reaching a theoretical win level/frequency Reaching an actual win
level/frequency Reaching an actual loss level/frequency Having last
played within a certain amount of time Having a minimum frequency
of visit level Having a minimum play per visit level Having a
particular demographic Having a particular entry in a database
(e.g., a favorite color) Having had an account for a minimum length
of time Achieving one or more particular gaming machine positive
outcomes (e.g., hitting a particular jackpot on one or more gaming
machines) or negative outcomes (e.g., not hitting a particular
jackpot), perhaps consecutively and/or in combination Achieving a
certain number of gaming machine outcomes in some number of tries
Achieving one or more particular outcomes relative to other players
Earning a certain number of points Having a minimum number of
handles per trip/unit time Having a minimum amount of continuous
play Being selected as the player who caused the bonus pool to
reach a threshold amount Playing at a particular time Being in
physical proximity to another player (e.g., a player hitting a
jackpot) Having a minimum amount of time since last win Having a
minimum amount of time since last bonus The bonus pool reaches a
threshold
A person skilled in the art will also recognize that criterion 220
can be a compound criteria (that is, that two or more criteria be
used in some combination, conjunctively and/or disjunctively), and
that the compound criteria can combine criteria relating to both a
player's status and a player's actions.
Selector 225 selects a random bonus award for players. The
operation of selector 225 is discussed further below with reference
to FIGS. 3-4.
Although FIG. 2 shows server 205 and bonus server 210 as separate
components, a person skilled in the art will recognize that the
operations of bonus server 210 can be performed anywhere within the
system. The use of both server 205 and bonus server 210 aids in
implementation by separating different functions to different
servers and helps to isolate the award system and protect against
accusations of bias. In this embodiment, once the player tracking
database has identified the user, the player's record is checked to
see if the player has been awarded a bonus this session. If not,
the bonus server is signaled to generate a bonus award. But the
bonus award system can be implemented on any server, and not one
dedicated to bonusing.
FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment for storing non-default awards in
the bonus server of FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the
invention. In FIG. 3, bonus server 210 is shown storing information
about a bonus session. According to box 305, the bonus session is
currently active. If there is no bonus session currently active,
then no random bonus awards are to be made. Although FIG. 3 shows
information about only one bonus session, a person skilled in the
art will recognize that there can be multiple bonus sessions: for
example, one each for different groups of games. Thus, there can be
one bonus session for video poker, another bonus session for table
blackjack, and a third bonus session for keno. Or, there can be one
bonus session for video games, one bonus session for table games,
and one bonus session for paper games. In addition, bonus sessions
can be defined in ways other than by the type of game. For example,
there can be a bonus session for a group of machines located in a
particular area on the casino floor, even if the area includes
games of different types. A bonus session can even include multiple
non-contiguous areas of the casino floor, if desired. A person
skilled in the art will recognize other ways in which gaming
machines can be grouped for purposes of bonus awards. These
multiple bonus sessions can run independently of each other, can
have different award pools and different award probabilities, can
have different durations, and can have different start and end
times. In this embodiment, it is useful to have the bonus award
determined using a bonus server, to have a dedicated machine
processing the bonuses.
Bonus server 210 also includes default awards and non-default
awards. The default award, as shown by box 310, is set at $1.00. As
indicated in box 315, there are 90 default awards. Although FIG. 3
shows a non-zero default award, a person skilled in the art will
recognize that the default award can be zero. If the default award
is zero, then if a default award is selected the system operates as
if the player received no bonus award (as would happen, for
example, if the player does not meet the criterion for the bonus
award, or no bonus session is currently active). It is also
possible that default awards can be omitted, in which case the
random number generator selects an award only from the non-default
awards.
Table 320 shows the non-default awards. Using entry 325 as an
example, the entry is in the first position in table 320. Entry 325
stores a $25 award, which is considered a level 1 award. As there
is no checkmark in the used column, this award is still available
for use. In contrast, entries 330, 335, and 340 are indicated as
used.
As shown, there are two $25 awards, three $10 awards, and five $5
awards, for a total of ten non-default awards. But a person skilled
in the art will recognize that there can be any number of
non-default awards, and each award can have any desired value.
Although storing the non-default awards in a table is one possible
representation, a person skilled in the art will recognize other
ways in which the non-default awards can be stored. FIG. 4 shows a
second embodiment for storing non-default awards in the bonus
server of FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the invention. In
FIG. 4, the non-default awards are stored as linked list 405. The
effect of linked list 405 is the same as that of non-default awards
table 320 of FIG. 3, although the representation is different.
Notice that the first $10 award and two of the $5 awards have been
marked as used, paralleling the approach of FIG. 3. A person
skilled in the art will recognize other data structures that can be
used to represent the available non-default awards.
Typically, the number of default and non-default awards are
determined by having the casino select the desired values for the
default and non-default awards. Then, initial probabilities for the
awards are determined by the casino. The appropriate number of
non-default awards (at each level) necessary to establish the
desired odds are defined in bonus server 210, using whatever data
structure is desired. Then, the appropriate number of non-default
awards are defined in box 315. For example, if the initial odds on
winning one of the $25 non-default awards are to be 2%, then (given
that there are a total of ten non-default awards) 90 default awards
are needed. On the other hand, if the odds of winning one of the
$25 non-default awards are to be 1%, then 190 default awards are
needed.
The reader may have noticed that the non-default awards are managed
individually, whereas the default awards managed communally. The
reason for this distinction is that in one embodiment, default
awards, even if selected, remain available for future use. That is,
if a non-default award is selected, it is removed from the list of
available awards, but if a default award is selected and awarded to
a player, the number of default awards remains unchanged. This
means that, using the non-default awards of FIGS. 3-4, there can be
at most two people winning a $25 non-default award, but there can
be hundreds of people winning default awards. As a result, the
non-default awards become scarcer over time, and the default awards
become increasingly likely. But a person skilled in the art will
recognize that this design is not required: the default awards can
be removed once they are individually used, and/or the non-default
awards can remain available for future selection.
Selector 225, discussed above with reference to FIG. 2, is
responsible for selecting an bonus award for the player (assuming
the player otherwise qualifies for a bonus award). Selector 225
picks from the default awards and the available (that is, not yet
used, assuming the non-default awards are removed from the system
after use) non-default awards. Selector 225 can pick the award
using a random number generator. For example, in FIGS. 3-4 there
are 100 possible awards initially. Selector 225 calls upon the
random number generator to pick a number between 1 and 100. Numbers
1-10 correspond to positions 1-10 of non-default award table 320
(or to the ten entries in linked list 405); the remaining 90
numbers correspond to default awards. Selector 225 traverses
non-default award table 320 or linked list 405 if the number is
between 1-10, and checks to see if the entry has been used. If the
entry is marked as used, then selector 225 calls upon the random
number generator to pick a new number between 1 and 100, until an
available award is found. Otherwise, selector 225 marks the award
as used (if awards are not re-used: in the embodiments illustrated
in FIGS. 3-4, this applies only to non-default awards), and
delivers the award to the gaming machine to be awarded to the
player (using awarder 130 of FIG. 1).
A real-world analog that may be useful to consider is that of a jar
filled with colored marbles representing the different award
levels. When an award is to be made, a marble is pulled from the
jar. If the marble color indicates a non-default award, the award
is made and the marble set aside (that is, not returned to the
jar). But when the marble color indicates a default award, after
the award is made the marble is returned to the jar. This means
that the odds of receiving one of the higher level awards decreases
as time passes, since only the marbles representing the higher
level awards are set aside after they are drawn from the jar.
A person skilled in the art will recognize that other methods can
be implemented to eliminate "used" awards. For example, instead of
marking an entry in non-default awards table 320 as used, the entry
can be deleted and the random number generator set to draw from a
pool size reduced by 1. Or, if linked list 405 is used instead of
non-default awards table 320, when a non-default entry is selected,
it can be removed from the linked list. A third possibility is to
use linked list 405, but randomly populate the list with the
available non-default awards. Then, when the random number
generator selects a number representing a higher level award, the
award at the head of the list is awarded, and that award removed
from the list. Eventually the list will be empty: at that point,
the random number generator is no longer needed.
As discussed above with reference to FIGS. 3-4, it is possible that
the non-default awards can also be reused, as opposed to
eliminated. In that variation, the probability of receiving any
particular bonus does not vary over time, unless the probabilities
are manually changed. Entries in the table (or other data
structure) are not removed or marked as "used" after they have been
awarded. In the real-world analog described above, this is
equivalent to returning marbles to the jar after they are drawn,
regardless of color.
Although FIGS. 3-4 show only cash awards, a person skilled in the
art will recognize that this is not a limitation of embodiments of
the invention. Awards can be in the form of cash, credits, or
non-monetary awards, such as a car, or any combination thereof. For
example, the highest level award can be a car, the next level prize
a big screen television set, the third level prize $100 in cash,
the fourth prize a $50 credit on the gaming machine, and so on.
If credits are awarded instead of cash or non-monetary awards, the
credits are available to the player for use, but do not have to be
used while playing the game in which the credits were awarded. In
one embodiment, the credits do not expire: the player can use them
at any time (although he cannot cash them out). In another
embodiment, the credits can be made to expire. That is, at some
point (for example, when the session ends), any credits awarded to
the player that he has not used are lost.
Not shown in FIGS. 3-4 are consolation awards. These are awards
given when the player does not even win a default award. As with
all of the awards, consolation awards can be set by the casino to
any value, and can be omitted if desired. Consolation awards can be
made at any time desired: for example, if the player fails to
receive a bonus award at all during the bonus session, the
consolation award can be given at the end of the bonus session. In
addition, the criterion can be applied to the consolation award,
limiting its delivery to only certain players. The criterion used
for consolation awards can be same as criterion 220, or it can be a
different criterion.
Now that the components of embodiments of the invention have been
explained, the operation of embodiments of the invention can be
explained. In one embodiment, the system checks to see if a bonus
session is active for the gaming machine used by the player. If no
bonus session is currently active, then no award is determined
according to the description contained herein.
The bonus can be awarded at varying times. In one embodiment, the
bonus award is determined at the time the player is identified by
the gaming machine. In another embodiment, the award is determined
only after the player has played a required number of credits. In a
third embodiment, the award is determined only after the player has
played for a predetermined amount of time. A person skilled in the
art will recognize other triggers that can be used to set off the
bonus award.
In one embodiment, the player can receive only one bonus during a
bonus session. This is typically accomplished by storing in the
player tracking database identifiers of bonus sessions in which the
player has received a bonus. In another embodiment, the player can
receive multiple awards. For example, the bonus award can be given
every time the player is identified during the session. (The system
would also watch to make sure that the player does not take
advantage by repeatedly stopping and re-starting play, to receive a
new bonus.) Or, the player can receive an additional award after
playing a required number of credits or for a predetermined amount
of time. A person skilled in the art will recognize other
variations that can be implemented.
Once an award has been selected for the player, information about
the award is sent to the player's gaming machine in a message. The
message can include a text field that can be displayed to the user.
The message can also include the value of the award.
FIG. 5 shows the gaming machine of FIG. 1 notifying the user of the
bonus award. In FIG. 5, gaming machine 105 includes display 505.
Display 505 visually notifies the player of the award. The visual
display can include simply a text message, as shown, or can include
a more graphic display, to catch the player's attention, perhaps
involving animation or video. Gaming machine 105 can also use audio
information to alert the user to the bonus.
Although FIG. 5 shows gaming machine 105 as a slot machine, a
person skilled in the art will recall that gaming machine 105 can
be any variety of gaming machine. If the gaming machine includes a
display for purposes of playing the game, display 505 can be a
secondary display to the gaming machine. But a person skilled in
the art will recognize that the gaming machine can use its primary
display for the notification. For example, if the gaming machine is
a video poker machine, the display that typically shows the
player's hand can be changed to provide the notice of the bonus
award to the player, instead of using a secondary display. This
situation is shown in FIG. 6, where gaming machine 605 has native
display 610 used for the game (e.g., for video poker), which is
also used to give the player notice of the award. Gaming machine
605 is also shown has having speaker 615, which can be a native
speaker of gaming machine 605 (that is, used to provide sound
effects for the game) and is used to present the player with aural
notice as well (although a person skilled in the art will recognize
that a separate speaker can also be used). A person skilled in the
art will recognize that textual, graphical, and aural notice can
all be used independently for notification purposes.
In one embodiment, the machine simply notifies to the player that
he has won an award. In another embodiment, the machine presents
the user with the illusion that the award is being determined at
the machine (as opposed to having been determined by a random
number generator at the bonus server). The machine can display a
varying list of awards, for example on a spinning wheel. The
machine makes the display stop on the selected award. So, if the
user is awarded a default award of a $1 credit, the display stops
on a symbol representing a $1 credit. This gives the player the
illusion that the outcome is not determined in advance of the
message announcing the award. U.S. patent application Ser. No.
09/104,145, filed Jun. 23, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,567,
issued Apr. 23, 2002, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.
No. 60/411,273, filed Sep. 16, 2002, incorporated herein by
reference, describe other ways in which the award can be presented
to the user.
In an ideal world, the player information can be retrieved from the
player tracking database and the award determined instantaneously.
The real world, however, is not so idyllic. It takes some (small)
amount of time to locate the player information in the player
tracking database, and it takes some (small) amount of time to
determine the player's award, if he is entitled to one. It is
possible that, during the time needed to identify the player from
the player tracking database, determine an award, and send the
results back to the machine, the player has stopped playing. In
that case, the award should be discarded. Especially where it is
possible that a second player can be identified before the award is
made, the award generated for the first player should be dropped.
In that case, the award can be returned to the pool of available
bonuses. Thus, if the award is a non-default award, it can be made
available to another player at a later time.
FIGS. 7A-7D show a flowchart of the procedure for awarding a random
bonus award in the system of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of
the invention. In FIG. 7A, at step 703, default bonus awards are
defined for types of gaming machines. A person skilled in the art
will recognize that there can be different default bonus awards for
different types of gaming machines, and that there can be one
default bonus award for all types of gaming machines, among other
possibilities. In addition, the phrase "type of gaming machine"
(and its equivalents) can be interpreted to mean groups of gaming
machines, regardless of "type." Throughout the remainder of this
document, it is to be understood that any reference to a type of
gaming machine can be interpreted as a reference to all gaming
machines together, or to any desired grouping of gaming
machines.
At step 706, at least one non-default bonus award is defined for
the types of gaming machines. At step 709, the desired proportions
(that is, initial probabilities) for the non-default bonus awards
are identified, and at step 712, enough bonus awards (both default
and non-default are created to establish the initial proportions.
At step 715, a consolation award is defined for the types of gaming
machines. As shown by arrow 718, step 715 can be omitted.
At step 721, a criterion is identified for each type of gaming
machine. At step 724, a player of a gaming machine is identified.
At shown by arrow 727, step 724 can be omitted. If step 724 is
omitted, then the criterion identified in step 721 is based on the
player's actions and not his status (since the player's status
cannot be determined without identifying the player). Thus, for
example, the criterion could be that the player have a total
coin-in of $100, but not that the player have an account in the
player tracking database. (Where the player is not identified, the
criterion is usually based on a session determined by the player's
actions: that is, a sequence of plays sufficiently close together
to make it likely that all plays were made by the same player.) At
step 730, the type of the gaming machine being used by the player
is determined. As shown by arrow 727, step 730 can be omitted. For
example, if the random bonus award does not depend on the type of
gaming machine being used, step 730 can be omitted.
At step 733 (FIG. 7B), the system checks to see if the gaming
machine type has a currently active bonus session, and at step 736,
the system checks to see if the player meets the criterion. If
there is no currently active bonus session for the gaming machine
type, or if the player does not meet the criteria, then processing
ends. Otherwise, at step 739, the system selects a bonus award at
random.
At step 742 (FIG. 7C), the system checks whether the selected bonus
award should be eliminated. As discussed above with reference to
FIGS. 3-4, typically the non-default bonus awards are used only
once, after which they are eliminated, but default bonus awards are
reused, and so are not eliminated. If the selected bonus award is
to be eliminated, then at step 745 the bonus award is removed from
the set of bonus awards. At step 748, the system checks to see if
the selected bonus award is a zero award (which can happen if the
default award is zero: typically, non-default awards are not zero
awards). If the selected bonus award is a zero award, then
processing ends. Otherwise, at step 751 the system sends a message
to the gaming machine about the selected bonus award.
At step 754, the gaming machine verifies that the player still
meets the criterion. As discussed above, it can happen that between
when the system selects the award for the player and when the
gaming machine tries to give the player the award that the player
no longer qualifies for the award. Having the gaming machine
double-check the player's eligibility at step 754 protects against
the problem. If the player still meets the criterion to receive the
award, then at step 757 (FIG. 7D), the system delivers the selected
bonus award to the player. At step 760, the player is notified of
the award. As shown by arrow 763, step 760 can be omitted. At step
766, the player's receipt of the bonus award is recorded in the
player tracking database. As shown by arrow 769, this step can be
omitted.
At step 772, the system checks whether the selected bonus award
should be returned to the system as if it had not been given to the
player. Aside from the situation where the player is no longer
eligible for the bonus award (as checked at step 754), the award
can be expired for other reasons. For example, if the player does
not accept the bonus award within a certain amount of time, the
award can be withdrawn from the player and returned to the
available awards. If the award is to be expired, then at step 775
the award is withdrawn from the player (if the player received the
award), and at step 778 the selected bonus award is returned to the
set of available bonus awards. As shown by arrow 781, step 778 can
be omitted, in which case the selected award is not given to anyone
(it is withdrawn from the player to which is was initially
delivered, but not available for anyone else to win).
FIGS. 8A-8B show a flowchart of the procedure for notifying a
player of the random bonus award in the system of FIG. 1, according
to an embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 8A, at step 805, the
system determines whether it is using text to notify the player. If
so, then at step 810, a display associated with the gaming machine
is selected. As discussed above with reference to FIG. 6, the
display can be the native display (if the gaming machine has one),
or a secondary display associated with the gaming machine. At step
815, the text message is displayed on the display.
At step 820, the system determines whether it is using video to
notify the player. If so, then at step 825, a display associated
with the gaming machine is selected, and at step 830 the video is
displayed on the selected display. At step 835 (FIG. 8B), the
system determines whether animation is being used to notify the
player (e.g., to simulate the random selection of the bonus award
for the player). If so, then at step 840, the system shows the
animation on the selected display.
At step 845, the system determines whether it is using audio to
notify the player. If so, then at step 850, the system generates an
audio message, and at step 855 the audio message is played.
A person skilled in the art will recognize that an embodiment of
the invention described above can be implemented using a computer.
In that case, the method is embodied as instructions that make up a
program. The program may be stored on computer-readable media, such
as floppy disks, optical discs (such as compact discs), or fixed
disks (such as hard drives), and can be resident in memory, such as
random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), firmware, or
flash RAM memory. The program as software can then be executed on a
computer to implement the method. The program, or portions of its
execution, can be distributed over multiple computers in a
network.
Having illustrated and described the principles of the invention in
a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be readily apparent to
those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in
arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. All
modifications coming within the spirit and scope of the
accompanying claims are claimed.
* * * * *